Master’s programme in International Strategic Management

About Theresa

“While originally being from Germany, I studied my Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management in the Netherlands. Driving factors when applying for Lund University for my Master’s were its high education standards and well-recognized ranking, the international environment, and the opportunity to study an intense one-year Master’s.

Why did you choose this Master’s programme?

I chose the MSc in International Strategic Management based on two main motivations. Firstly, it allows for a diversified career into many business domains and secondly, a career in this field often requires a holistic perspective with communication and consideration of various other stakeholders, which I find very appealing. Personally, aiming for a career in management consultancy, I believe this programme has prepared me very well for such a job, while the obtained knowledge can also be applied in almost any other job.”

How is the programme?

“Our class consists of about 45 people with 13 different nationalities. While I originally have not been a huge fan of group work, I have come to greatly appreciate it here in Sweden for two main reasons. Firstly, students at Lund University are motivated and ambitious so one can trust and depend on one another. Secondly, the background and experience base of my fellow students is very diverse – making it very interesting to learn about different perspectives and approaches to solve problems.

I experienced classes to be taught mostly in an interactive manner but on a voluntary basis. Teachers are very approachable and within a few weeks they know the student’s names. Workload, in my opinion, differs depending on the courses and time of year. I experienced the last few months as less intense as compared to the beginning, which offered students time to apply for jobs. Examinations usually include group work,  as well as an individual contribution, most often ranging between an individual four hour exam to a group paper assignment or a 24h take-home case exam, for instance. Written exams require much learning by heart of concepts and theories while assignments and case exams have practical application at focus, sometimes with companies from Lund or Malmö. Guest lectures are also common and are a nice opportunity to connect theory to practice.”

You are going to Australia to pursue a double degree. What does it entail?

“After my year in Lund, I will add an extra semester to my Master’s programme. Lund University School of Economics and Management has several programmes with double degree opportunities, so I applied – and was accepted – for a double degree with Deakin University, Australia. After the successful completion of the Master's in International Strategic Management at Lund University and successful completion of the courses at Deakin University, I will receive a Master's degree certificate in Business and Economics with a major in Business Administration from Lund University and a Master of Commerce (specializing in marketing) from Deakin University.”

What is your overall Lund student experience?

“Overall, and I believe I can speak for many of my fellow students, Lund as a student city has been treating us very well. There are student activities on a daily basis and plenty of opportunity to connect and enjoy life, whether this includes a quick trip to Malmö or Copenhagen, taking salsa lessons, having drinks with friends or going clubbing.”

About Alexander

“After high school, I decided to continue my educational path by doing a Bachelor’s degree in business, with a focus on sales and marketing. During this time, and after several internships, I quickly realised that I am thrilled by the idea of actively shaping the future of companies. And what better way of doing that than to work in strategy? As I truly relished the thought of making a difference, I decided to look for Master’s programmes in Europe in the field of strategy – and that’s why I am in Lund today.”  

What is the programme like?

“We are a very culturally diverse class of students who all share a passion for strategy and innovation. So, on top of building know-how in strategy consulting and strengthening our teamworking skills, group projects offer a unique opportunity to experience first-hand what it means to collaborate cross-culturally.

The programme is filled with advanced courses on numerous strategy-related subjects, ranging from innovation management and performance measurement to the management, financing, and strategy involved with buying, selling, and combining companies. While I definitely enjoy widening my strategy toolkit, I think my greatest learning experience has been strengthening my practical skills. I am challenged to truly reflect on what we read and hear. The same goes for being analytical. Everyone who has been in touch with strategy and innovation knows that there is an abundance of frameworks. However, in the end it is not about the frameworks, but about choosing and applying them to the right scenarios. And I think that’s a truly invaluable lesson.”

What is the teaching and learning style like?

“The teaching style at Lund University School of Economics is very open and interactive. In particular, the approachability of the professors creates a fantastic learning environment. Even though I am coming from a German-speaking country, being on a first-name-basis with all the professors felt uncomfortable in the beginning.

 Before talking more about the lectures, I need to explain the expected learning style a bit. Courses are generally composed of two main elements: theory and case studies. When it comes to theory, there is a wide range of scientific articles that we are expected to read before each lecture. During class, we usually discuss our different viewpoints, with the attempt to arrive at a common gist. What I moreover enjoy in class is the stimulating and enriching environment. I have experienced more than once that I am shown completely diverging solutions to the same problem, when I thought before class that there can, for sure, only be ONE solution. I would say that besides the knowledge I gain, I truly benefit from the stimulating environment to articulate one’s point of view and to be capable of defending it in discussions. This interaction with others has helped me to really build a thorough understanding of tools and concepts.

When working with real business cases, we have come across a wide range of strategy-related challenges, ranging from: giving recommendations to a Swedish architecture firm on sustainability and internalisation; to the evaluation of future innovation avenues of Ford Motors. On top of case studies, we also have the chance to get insights into practical matters by guest lecturers, company visits and consulting cases. Two examples that I am particularly fond of is a very exclusive visit to Space10 in Copenhagen – IKEA’s worldwide fuzzy front-end innovation hub, as well as a consulting case with TetraPak’s finance department on performance measurement issues. Overall, as this description might already imply, the workload is rather high, but definitely rewarding.”

What are you planning to do after your time in Lund?
“After graduation, I would like to start in a digitalisation-related business role. Since I was young, I have been intrigued by all sorts of digital technologies. But I have quickly learned that even the latest and greatest technology is useless if it does not generate value for its user. Hence, I think that in today’s world – where digitalisation is pervasive across all industries – the ability to understand how digital technologies might shape a company’s future is imperative. And that’s where I hope that my passion for digital technologies paired with my Master’s degree in international strategic management will come in handy.

If you have read through all of this and are still not sure what to expect from the program, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn!”

About Shabrina

“I have a Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Universitas Indonesia. During my bachelor’s studies, I did an internship at Deloitte Consulting as a consumer business consulting intern, followed by an internship at British Petroleum as a risk engineer apprentice. After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree, I worked at the Development Bank of Singapore as a credit risk and policy officer for 2.5 years. Having worked in diverse industries and in different roles, I realised one essential thing: Strategy is key to stay in the game and to be competitive. Consequently, I began looking for a programme where I could learn more about strategy.”

What is the programme like?

“In this programme, we learn about the theoretical foundation of strategic management, as well as being challenged with real business cases and simulations. Most of the cases and assignments are solved in groups. This has been beneficial for developing communication and teamworking skills. I also enjoy to listening and participate in the active and dynamic in-class discussions. They have helped me to become more confident in expressing my thoughts.

Guest lecturers from diverse industries come to the programme to share their expertise and experience. This is really helpful to bridge the academic and professional world, and has helped to open up my mind on the my future career possibilities.  

On top of that, the fact that Lund University is located in Sweden, and has a Scandinavian approach to sustainability, also adds the uniqueness of this programme. A sustainable approach is tailored in each course, and we are challenged to ask ourselves ‘how can we contribute to a sustainable future?’. The class is very mixed, with bright students from all over the world. This has allowed me to understand how to work with people from varying backgrounds, and has given me the opportunity to build a worldwide network.”

What do you learn? And why?

“All in all, the programme has helped me to ‘connect the dots’ from everything that I have studied at the undergraduate level, and experienced at work. It has helped me to see and work with strategy in all different kind of organisations. I have learned how a business can understand its position on the market, and how to create a sustainable – but competitive – advantage. Businesses can also be innovative in various ways, but still maintain a robust strategy to tackle business challenges. Besides, I have been challenged to keep up with the high workload by learning how to manage my time effectively.”

I’m ambitious, and the MSc in International Strategic Management was the perfect match! The programme provided me with a wide range of knowledge on the entire strategic decision-making process. Today, I’m well equipped with knowledge on how to drive and grow businesses in a sustainable manner and on dynamic and high-paced technological markets. These markets are global and more often than not, politically unstable. I can’t wait to start out my career as a strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte in Amsterdam. I would have not managed to move my career into the direction I had dreamed to pursue without this programme. Now, the case-work studies, state-of-the art theories on strategic management and the multicultural education from the School of Economics and Management will be put to the test – I can’t wait to make a difference!